sweet and fruity
Beautiful cake glistens with shiny silverish golden buds. Distinct, whole leaves are easy to pry apart, as expected from a stone pressed production.
Review is based on a few sessions using approx 6g/100-150ml water in 180ml duan ni pot.

Dry leaves in warmed pot exude a strong ripe fruit aroma. Certainly the most intensly fruity sheng I have come across. Sweet, golden infusions with a tangy apricot/orange character with a slight hint of tobacco and honey. It’s somehow more like a phoenix dan cong oolong than a pu er.

Clean and crisp with zero smokiness/storage smell. There is some astringency with longer steeps.

Seems to have a gentle qi and to be relatively low in caffeine. It does not appear to deliver as intense a shift in awareness and body sensations, and is not as not as thick/rich/complex as the better (older and pricier) shengs I have tried. All factors considered, In its age and price range I would say its solid choice.

In summary, this is a sweet, tasty, clean, very drinkable sheng. A great everyday tea and a sure bet for those used to sweet drinks and who are new to pu erh. I wonder if it will develop more qi, complexity and thickness as it ages.

Looking forwards to your review on that one. Ys seems to be generous with their samples though on this last order there was none. I am gravitating towards older’ circa 1990’s vintage these days as they are much mellower. Great stuff at essence of tea esp. 92 da ye loose leaf.

Looking forwards to your review on that one. Ys seems to be generous with their samples though on this last order there was none. I am gravitating towards older’ circa 1990’s vintage these days as they are much mellower. Great stuff at essence of tea esp. 92 da ye loose leaf.